A development assets approach in East Africa: Can Swahili measures capture adolescent competencies and ecological experiences?

Abstract Background Assets-based approaches are well-suited to youth living in majority world contexts, such as East Africa. However, positive psychology research with African adolescents is rare. One hindering factor is the lack of translated measures for conducting research. Objective This study builds capacity for positive youth development research in East Africa and beyond by examining a Swahili measure of youth development that assess both internal and external strengths. Methods We translated a well-researched and internationally used measure of assets, [Developmental Assets Profile (DAP), along with measures of self-efficacy, ethnic identity, sense of community, and community participation] into Swahili.